There is nothing wrong with that besides a lack of overall maturity, but the issue is you feel that the solution to said problem is by excluding the *** player because other people may be uncomfortable. If you're uncomfortable being naked with a *** guy it's on you to find alternatives. The *** guy isn't the one who should be penalized on your own insecurities.

actually, I never said exclusion was the answer. To be honest, Im not sure what the answer is. I think we have to fight against stereotypes, and that *** people shouldnt feel like they cant play sports. But we also cant just pretend like there arent any issues with **** in locker rooms. And if a player has a concern about that, he shouldnt be labeled a homophobe. I was just defending Chris Culliver b/c I didnt think he said anything that was really homophobic, he just stated he wasnt really comfortable with it, and players should have the right to express those feelings w/o being labeled as homophobes. its a complex issue, its not nearly as simple as race inclusion.

i get where youre going with the whole...if u have a problem being around **** in the locker room, then maybe you shower at a different time than him or whatever...but from a standpoint of a team, if you have 50 guys in a locker room that will all be uncomfortable, is it worth risking locker room chemistry over one player? Its a legit concern. And people who just fly off the handle and call me a homophobe for saying something like that need to really look at the situation, and look for real solutions to a complex problem.

In the case of *** marriage for instance, I am 100% on board. There is no rationale why they shouldnt have the same rights. But when you are talking about the complexities of a locker room of a pro football team, its different. And im not saying **** should be excluded, but also dont buy it when people say it should be a complete non-issue.

When Rhodes left the Jets and went to the Cardinals, a former Jets teammate (can't remember who) went off and said Rhodes plays like a girl. The guy probably knew Rhodes was *** and was dying to say so but didn't want to out anybody. So he just used the phrase "playes like a girl".

Here's the mentality of NFL players:

Woman-hitting? -- no problem. Rape? -- so what? Shoot up a nightclub? -- we'll look the other way. But you better not be ***. We can't accept that.

This thread was actually having a relatively decent discussion for the Pro Football section and now its gonna get locked.

Oh tis the life on NFLDC I guess.

Yep. I'll try and steer it back.

As P-L and others discussed this might not be a solely a sexual orientation issue.

Quote:

It’s impossible to rule out the notion that teams are looking elsewhere to avoid the potential distractions that would arise from Rhodes either being outed or coming out, despite his denials. Which provides all the more justification for *** NFL players who may be considering acknowledging publicly who they are to continue to stay firmly in the closet.

NFL teams can say that they welcome *** players. But NFL teams (and, specifically, NFL coaches) don’t want distractions. For the same reason Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano didn’t want to be answering questions about whether he applied Enron-style accounting to the vote that stripped the captain title from quarterback Josh Freeman, no head coach wants to have to spend time answering questions about any topic unrelated to the task at hand — preparing for the next game on the schedule.

Right or wrong, that’s the reality of the NFL. The fact that a team would actually be willing to deprive itself of a player who could help win the next game on the schedule and beyond shows how screwed up that approach could be.

Other examples are abundant. Kluwe isn't a terrible punter. He isn't good enough to override the potential for media fallout so there he remains on the sidelines.

How about Tim Tebow? Same thing. He brings the circus without being able to play well enough to make it worth the media hassle.

Rhodes needs the media to out the NFL for its policies WITHOUT attracting additional attention that will prevent him being returning to the NFL. He's in a catch-22 with no real solution aside from letting it ride and allowing the media to find the next big issue they feel like talking about so he can quietly make a return.

I was just going to say that outside of the US there are plenty of countries where they have unisex showers and it is considered unhygienic to wear any type of clothing. Actually found an article in which there was unrest because foreigners were insisting on breaking the rules by wearing clothing in the showers.

As P-L and others discussed this might not be a solely a sexual orientation issue.

Other examples are abundant. Kluwe isn't a terrible punter. He isn't good enough to override the potential for media fallout so there he remains on the sidelines.

How about Tim Tebow? Same thing. He brings the circus without being able to play well enough to make it worth the media hassle.

Rhodes needs the media to out the NFL for its policies WITHOUT attracting additional attention that will prevent him being returning to the NFL. He's in a catch-22 with no real solution aside from letting it ride and allowing the media to find the next big issue they feel like talking about so he can quietly make a return.

The simple solution is to stop making it seem like such a big deal in the first place, and let the dominoes fall as they may. You think Kerry's the only *** guy in the NFL? Psh. And it's unfathomable that there would be second, third, fourth, 900th given to guys who do absolutely horrible things and the media won't crawl up the ass of that team.

Plus, it's POSITIVE press for the most part. Positive press leads to increased revenue more often than not.

As P-L and others discussed this might not be a solely a sexual orientation issue.

Other examples are abundant. Kluwe isn't a terrible punter. He isn't good enough to override the potential for media fallout so there he remains on the sidelines.

How about Tim Tebow? Same thing. He brings the circus without being able to play well enough to make it worth the media hassle.

Rhodes needs the media to out the NFL for its policies WITHOUT attracting additional attention that will prevent him being returning to the NFL. He's in a catch-22 with no real solution aside from letting it ride and allowing the media to find the next big issue they feel like talking about so he can quietly make a return.

yea in the end the team will do whatever will not create problems for them. i dont see any nfl coach that wants to deal with the distraction of having the first openly *** player in their locker room. none of em will come out and say that. just kinda the way it is tho IMO.

The simple solution is to stop making it seem like such a big deal in the first place, and let the dominoes fall as they may. You think Kerry's the only *** guy in the NFL? Psh. And it's unfathomable that there would be second, third, fourth, 900th given to guys who do absolutely horrible things and the media won't crawl up the ass of that team.

Plus, it's POSITIVE press for the most part. Positive press leads to increased revenue more often than not.

yea i garuntee there are other *** players in locker rooms but probably easier for everyone involved if its kept on the hush.

THe thing is, *** male athletes have been in lockerrooms with other guys their entire lives, so there isn't that 'freakout' response when they see another naked male body, unlike most men if they suddenly had to dress and shower in the women's lockerroom.

Hell if most guys had to dress and shower in unisex lockerooms their entire lives, being in the presence of a naked woman wouldn't probably be that big a deal.

All I know is after the SKins/Eagles game, Kerry Rhodes is better than ANY safety on the SKins' roster. Dude is being ***-bashed by NFL GMs and execs because of rumors and maybe facts.

Rudy cool athletes are still men, and men who play football on some level are drawn to the violence of the sport.

There are so many crazy negative stereotypes about rudy cool athletes, as if they don't compete as hard or aren't trying to knock the teeth out of your mouth on every tackle.

I thought for the longest that Jerry Rice and Troy Polamalu were rudy cool, and both of them are some of the most intense, competitive athletes to ever play in the NFL.

I could understand if Rhodes was a STer out of work, but he's not even considered backup worthy for EVERY NFL TEAM in the league.

I was gonna say Rhodes is far from the only aging player who can still play that cant find a job b/c teams would rather go with young guys...but Rhodes is only 31 and still playing at a high level so idk to me it honestly seems like teams dont want him b/c of the potential distraction. He might be best off coming out and make the league look really bad.

This countries phobia of sex in general is absurd. All of these arguments were the same ones used to keep **** out of the military, and since Dont Ask Dont Tell was eliminated, there havnt been issues at all.

Not sure why we have to pretend things are issues when they just simply arnt.

Sad that Rhodes can't get a job. I wanted him here as a potential replacement for Goldson before we decided to go with Reid. If he is ***, so what. What matters is what he does on the field. Owners and GM's need to keep this in mind. If players don't like it, oh well. Deal with it.

According to XTRA 910 Phoenix's Mike Jurecki, free agent FS Kerry Rhodes turned down a one-year, $3 million contract offer from the Cardinals.
In other words, there has been interest from NFL teams in Rhodes; it just isn't mutual. Rhodes could be helping a football team right now, but he seems intent on continuing his life away from the gridiron. Long a high-quality on-field performer, it's worth noting Rhodes was often dogged by questions about his passion for the game, particularly early in his career with the Jets.
Related: Cardinals
Source: Mike Jurecki on Twitter Sep 13 - 9:37 PM